Ka`u News Briefs Nov. 1, 2012

Ka`u Trojans girls volleyball team beat Waimea yesterday at the Division II State Championships and plays in the Semi-Finals tonight. Photos by Andrew Lee, @HISportsPics.

THE PUBLIC LAND DEVELOPMENT CORP. has become an election issue with the Sierra Club, which has provided a list of state House of Representatives and state Senate candidates with their points of view. The PLDC has been heavily criticized in public hearings around the state and by candidates for its mission to use state lands for economic development through partnerships with private enterprise. 

      The Sierra Club website grandtheftaina.com explains its opposition to the PLDC and provides the following candidate comments:

Russell Ruderman

Daryl Lee Smith

VIEWS OF SENATE CANDIDATES FOR DISTRICT 2, from Punalu`u through Puna:
      Democratic Candidate Russell Ruderman says, “Yes, I support repealing the Public Lands Development Corp. Public distrust is too great to try to salvage it.”
      Republican Candidate Daryl Lee Smith (not shown on the Sierra Club website) told The Ka`u Calendar that he supports repealing the PLDC. “It is probably the worst legislation that has ever been crammed down our throats. It sets back home rule 20 to 30 years.” He said it “takes away the local people from making decisions about our own neighborhood. It gives O`ahu the right to decide for us.”

Jeff LaFrance

Josh Green

VIEWS OF SENATE CANDIDATES FOR DISTRICT 3 from Honu`apo into Kona:
      Democratic candidate Josh Green says, “Regarding the PLDC issue, the intent of this bill was to bring resources to maintain and improve public lands, and although the Sierra Club and other environmental groups did not strongly oppose the bill at first, some concerns have now been raised and we are shining sunlight on the process.
      “I held a personal meeting with the Governor to discuss this issue, during which I requested a full review of the policy.
      “If we as a community detect any abuses, I will make sure it stops and I will support a repeal of the bill.”
      Republican Candidate for District 3, Jeff LaFrance says: "This bill is ripe for abuse. Letting the government bypass all the rules we all must live by is a blatant power grab that must be stopped. No one is above the law, and certainly not our servant government. If the government is allowed to use no bid contracts, eminent domain to take one property to give to a more deserving person, project, or cause of their choosing, then land ownership, law of the land, and all our basic rights are in serious jeopardy, because there is no end to their ability to take."

Dave Bateman

Denny Coffman

VIEWS OF HOUSE CANDIDATES FOR DISTRICT 5 from Honu`apo into Kona:

      Republican Dave Bateman: “Yes, I support repealing the Public Lands Development Corp.”

      Democrat Denny Coffman, who chairs the House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection, says: “I do not believe that the government should be in the development business to make money. One purpose of government is to regulate development to insure that community planning, zoning and infrastructure requirements are satisfied by developers; government's role is to be the organization with the legal standing to enforce the regulations. To be in the development business creates a conflict of interest against the citizens of the state.”

Marlene Hapai

Fred Fogel

VIEWS OF HOUSE CANDIDATES for District 3, from Punalu`u into Puna:
      Fred Fogel, a Libertarian, says “The basic idea is good - partner with private enterprise whenever possible to improve public lands. However the PLDC concept is poorly conceived, duplicates existing governmental responsibilities, increases the size (and expense) of government, waives too many checks and balances, and was passed with little public or governmental committee input (very unusual) at the end of the 2011 session. Seems the poi is more than a few days old..."
      Marlene Hapai, the Republican candidate, supports repealing the PLDC. “"This is a good example of why the Sunshine Law should be applied to the Legislature as well," writes Hapai.

Richard Onishi

     Richard Onishi, the Democratic candidate, says: "I would like to first review attempts to make corrections to the flaws with the current Act 55, because I believe that it might take much longer to repeal the law and pass another law that has the same intent but includes the needed protections of community input, adherence to state status, compliance with County ordinances and building codes, meeting environmental review requirements and addresses cultural concerns. If these issues cannot be addressed and amended into the current Act 55, I would support repeal of Act 55."
      See more at grandtheftaina.com.

THE GENERAL ELECTION IS TUESDAY, NOV. 6. According to the Hawai`i County Elections Division, 104,323 Big Island residents are registered to vote. As of Oct. 31, the county had received 17,305 voted absentee mail ballots.

Image from calyouth.org

      A statement from the Hawai`i County Elections office says: “Voters are reminded that the deadline to submit an absentee mail ballot for the General Election is 6 p.m. on Nov. 6…Voters are further reminded that absentee mail ballots may be submitted for the General Election by: (1) mailing their ballot to the Hawai`i County Elections Division, (2) hand delivering their ballot to the Hawai`i County Elections Division office in Hilo, (3) hand delivering their ballot to any absentee/early walk-in voting location in Hilo, Waimea and in Kona, (4) hand delivering their ballot to any precinct on election day, Nov. 6 no later than 6 p.m.”
      On Oct. 23, Hawai`i County opened absentee/early walk-in voting precincts in Hilo, Waimea and in Kona where registered voters from districts islandwide can cast their votes. (The Pahala walk-in-voting is not in operation this election.) Absentee/early walk-in voting continues until Nov. 3, 2012, with Photo ID required.
      As of Oct. 31, the county reports, 6,308 Hawai`i County voters had voted absentee/early walk-in voting. For further information, contact Lehua Iopa, Acting Elections Program Administrator, at 961-8277 or by email at eiopa@co.hawaii.hi.us.

Geri Cuddihy of Louisiana.
Photo by Julia Neal

KA`U COFFEE FARMS ARE SECURE, said Chris Manfredi, of Ka`u Farm & Ranch, which manages most of the land where farmers grow their award-winning Ka`u Coffee. He took exception to testimony given by Geri Cuddihy on the `Aina Koa Pono case Tuesday night before the state Public Utilities Commission. She described Pahala as impoverished and the farmers’ success as tentative. Louisiana resident Cuddihy, whose husband works with `Aina Koa Pono, has been helping to drum up support for building a refinery and biofuel farm in Ka`u and sell diesel to Hawaiian Electric Light Co. The contract is up for consideration before the PUC. Geri Cuddihy testified during the hearing on Tuesday that the farmers are on month-to-month leases and their land is up for sale.
      Said Manfredi: "The farmers are not on month-to-month leases. The land is not for sale at this time and the Ka`u Coffee industry has never been stronger and more secure than it is today. When the farms are eventually offered for sale, I would like to see all farmers be able to buy their farms. Nothing would make me happier," he said.
      Farmers confirmed that their leases are paid in annual increments.
      The price of Ka`u Coffee green bean has reached $9 a pound, the highest ever, and many of the coffee farmers are seeking additional land in Ka`u to expand their operations. According to farmers, both Ka`u Farm & Ranch and Olson Trust have a long list of farmers waiting for more land to grow Ka`u Coffee.

Kaila Oslon brought Ka`u 8 kills, 3 aces and one block.

STATE IDENTIFICATION CARDS will be issued at drivers’ license office locations in Hilo and Kona starting Jan. 2, 2013. The Governor’s Offices in Kona and Hilo will stop processing them Monday, Dec. 17.
      A release from the state says. “This change is the result of a state law that transfers the responsibility for the State ID program from the Department of the Attorney General to the Department of Transportation...(It) will also help Hawai`i meet federal requirements under the REAL ID Act of 2005, which sets forth the documentation required and procedures to be followed in issuing drivers’ licenses and non-driver identification or State ID cards.
      “Cards that do not meet these requirements will not be recognized by federal agencies, such as the Transportation Security Administration. To comply with federal law, state IDs are being issued as temporary cards, whether obtained now, or obtained from a drivers’ license location after Jan. 2. These temporary cards are valid for one month from issuance until the permanent ID card is subsequently sent in the mail.”

Marley Strand-Nicolaison came up with 26 kills for Ka`u.

KA`U DEFEATED WAIMEA 3-1 at the Division II Girls Volleyball State Championships at Kalani Gym on O`ahu yesterday. Marley Strand-Nicolaison came up with 26 kills, Kamalani Fujikawa made 10 kills and Kaila Olson brought Ka`u 8 kills, 3 aces and one block. Ka`u lost the first game 21-25, but won the next three with 25-23, 25-15 and 25-22. Tonight, Ka`u goes to the semi-finals, taking on St. Francis at 5 p.m. in the Kalani Gym, while Farrington takes on Seabury Hall at 7 p.m. If Ka`u beats St. Francis, the Trojans will play tomorrow at 5 p.m. for the State Championship at the Blaisdell Arena.
Coach Joshua Ortega said this morning: "It was great waking up knowing that our Trojan wahine are playing as a winning team and believing that Ka`u can take the state championship." The team is accepting donations to help cover the expense of flying to O`ahu and staying there during the championship series. To donate, call 756-3601.

KEIKI GRADES K-8 ARE WELCOME TO REGISTER TODAY through Friday, Nov. 9, for a Thanksgiving Craft program scheduled for Wednesday, Nov 14, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. For more information, call Nona at 928-3102.

TINY TREASURES, a free invitational jewelry exhibition featuring the designs of 12 artists from Hawai`i, opens daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park through Sunday, Nov. 11. Park entrance fees apply. For more, call 967-7565.

OCEAN VIEW NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH meets tonight at 7 p.m. at the Ocean View Community Center. For more, call 939-7033.

MAILE YAMANAKA PRESENTS her monthly program at Volcano Art Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park tomorrow. This month's subject is Hamakua in Myth, Chant, Dance & Song, with a presentation from 11a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Hula, the Art of Hawaiian Dance begins at 1 p.m., and Keiki Hula, is from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more call, 937-4249.

James Hill is one of the instructors for the Kahumoku
Workshop that starts this Saturday.  

THE 7TH ANNUAL KAHUMOKU `OHANA HAWAIIAN MUSIC AND LIFESTYLE WORKSHOP begins Saturday, Nov. 3 in Pahala and continues through Sunday Nov. 11 with scholarships for local students Visit konaweb.com/keioki or call Tiffany Crosson at 938-6582.

A FREE CONCERT HONORING VETERANS is offered by students and teachers of the Kahumoku Workshop on Saturday, Nov. 10, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the grounds of Pahala Plantation House. The concert features John Keawe, Moses Kahumoku, Diana Aki, Sonny Lim, Keoki Kahumoku, James Hill, Bolo, Andy Andrews, Darci Baker, Hope Keawe, Anne Davison, Lopaka Naihe, Robert Kennedy, Peter DeAquino, and Andy Rising. Water and plate lunches will be available for purchase as a fundraiser. For more, call 938-6582.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS NOW OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

Ka`u News Briefs Oct. 31, 2012

Ka`u resident Alison Yahna's testimony expressed concern about taking biomass "from the beautiful hills of Ka`u" to make biodiesel at a refinery above Pahala. Photo by Julia Neal

ERRONEOUS IS WHAT SEN. MALAMA SOLOMON called `Aina Koa Pono’s “claims that they are the only viable project moving at this time before the Public Utilities Commission.” The senator pointed to a geothermal energy docket before the PUC that has been open for 12 months. Solomon was testifying last night before the PUC at a public hearing in Kona. Ka`u residents who made the drive to Kealakehe High School noted that no hearings were planned for Ka`u, where AKP plans to build a diesel refinery and use 12,000 acres to harvest and grow feedstock for their operation. Alison Yahna, owner of an apiary and farm off South Point Road, said she spent $50 in fuel to drive her truck to the public meeting.

Sen. Malama Solomon

      Solomon said she supports Mayor Billy Kenoi’s opposition to the `Aina Koa Pono proposal and noted the mayor’s statement that the proposed fixed price for the biodiesel that AKP plans to manufacture would be “roughly $200 per barrel, more than double the current, going rate for crude oil."
      AKP partner Chris Eldridge said that the comparison isn’t accurate because diesel costs more than crude oil.
      Solomon said Hawaiian Electric Company “has refused to take action” on putting out a request for the further expansion of geothermal. “To my knowledge, HECO is blaming the PUC for not designating an Independent Observer to solve this dilemma. I am requesting that the PUC immediately retain an Independent Observer and expedite the geothermal Request for Proposals before December, so it can be rewarded by March 2013."
      Solomon attacked AKP’s claim that its project “will renew Ka`u, which has the largest unemployment and the greatest agricultural potential on the island. I disagree.” She said she agrees with the county’s new Baseline Study for Food Self-Sufficiency that identifies North and South Kohala, Hamakua, Hilo, and Puna – not Ka`u – as the highest potential areas for expanded agricultural production, in part based on existing infrastructure. Solomon said Puna has the largest unemployment – not Ka`u.
      The senator also objected to AKP’s proposed rate increases through surcharges. “This is unacceptable because it places the financial burden of the development of their project on the shoulders of residents and businesses,” she said.

PUC chair Mina Morita

      Solomon called AKP’s technology “highly questionable” and pointed to the mayor’s concern about “using Ka`u as a test site for this unproven technology. `Aina Koa Pono admits this technology has never been used in production on this scale. Also, studies have proven that the cost to produce biofuels will be significantly higher than eight to 12 cents a kilowatt-hour, the cost of geothermal energy.”
      The senator said “geothermal is the way to solve our energy crisis in Hawai`i. It is owned by the public and Native Hawaiians; it is a plentiful resource given to us by our Hawaiian gods and goddesses, Pele and her sisters, patron of the Hula and kinolau of our Hawaiian landscape; and this is a gift to the people of Hawai`i, Na Po`e O Hawai`i.” She said that, statutorily, geothermal is now a “renewable, indigenous, firm power. Imua Kakou, let us move forward.”

HAWAI`I STATE CONSUMER ADVOCATE JEFFREY ONO said he would like to know whether the community view “of the biodiesel supply contract would change if maybe all of the costs were born by O`ahu ratepayers and none of it by Big Island ratepayers.” He noted that the application is to charge customers on the Big Island and O`ahu for the the electric bill surcharge to pay for the biofuel. He also said the PUC could choose to change the contract so that only O`ahu residents would bear the higher cost.

Council member Brenda Ford

COUNCIL MEMBER BRENDA FORD testified against HELCO’s proposed 4.2 percent rate increase. “We need to get these rates down, and need you to protect us and not the shareholders,” she told the PUC. She asked whether highly paid utility executives took pay reductions and furlough days as government workers and teachers did during the recession. She said HELCO execs should not be getting bonuses. 

STATE REPRESENTATIVE DENNY COFFMAN, who is chairman of the House Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, opposed the AKP contract, saying it will only allow HELCO to keep the obsolete power plant working longer to make more profits. He urged the PUC to wait for planning for the most affordable and efficient renewable energies before committing to any contract that would raise electric bills.

ANOTHER TESTIFIER called the AKP plan “destruction of 12,000 acres in Ka`u.”

ALISON YAHNA, OF KA`U, TALKED ABOUT THE TREACHEROUS, winding road between Ka`u and Keahole power plant. During her drive to the hearing, she said she saw a pedestrian lying on the side of the road who had just been hit by a car. She urged the PUC to reject the AKP plan to take 900 tons of biomass a day “ from the beautiful hills of Ka`u to put into the jaws” of the microwave refinery. She said the monocrop would replace forage for pollinators and food for birds. The biologist said, “This is a cost that is not even measurable; it is a cost of life.”

MARION "G-DOG" GERUSCHAT, A MUSICIAN FROM KA`U, TESTIFIED, “This plant does not seem to make a lot of sense,” putting it on the southern end of the island. “Grow it where you use it,” she said.

Chris Manfredi

GERI CUDDIHY, OF LOUISIANA, said she disagreed with testimony Monday night that Ka`u people are doing well. She again called them impoverished and pointed to unemployment statistics. She said 24 percent of people in Pahala live in poverty. She pointed to the success Ka` u Coffee farmers and said they are on month-to-month leases and “their land is up for sale.” She claimed that AKP’s biodiesel will be better than oil because it will emit no dioxins, no nitrous oxide and reduce greenhouse gases by more that 80 percent. 

KA`U RESIDENTS ALSO TESTIFIED at the public meeting in Hilo Monday evening.

CHRIS MANFREDI, MANAGER OF LAND where much Ka`u Coffee is grown, said, “We are on the path for a diversified agricultural economy that will not repeat the mistakes of the past, of mono-cropping and boom-and-bust-cycles.”

Earl Louis

EARL LOUIS REFERRED to a sign put up near the proposed site of AKP’s refinery by the Olson Trust that says “Malama `Aina.” He said, “Malama `aina means you’re going to take care of the land and not desecrate it.” He encouraged the trust to keep its word. 

WALK-IN VOTING CONTINUES through Saturday at Aupuni Center Conference Room in Hilo, West Hawai`i Civic Center’s Community Room in Kona and Waimea Community Center on Kawaihae Road. Registered voters with photo ID can vote at any of these polling places. Call Hawai`i County Elections Office at 961-8277 for more information.

MAILE YAMANAKA PRESENTS her monthly program at Volcano Art Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park on Friday. She presents Hamakua in Myth, Chant, Dance & Song from 11a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Hula, the Art of Hawaiian Dance begins at 1 p.m., and Keiki Hula, is from 3 – 4 p.m. 937-4249.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS NOW OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

Ka`u News Briefs Oct. 30, 2012

Mayor Billy Kenoi listed displacement of cattle operations to grow biomass crops as one reason why he opposes the `Aina Koa Pono biofuels project.

TESTIMONY FROM ABOUT 30 HAWAI`I ISLAND RESIDENTS before the Public Utilities Commission in Hilo last night overwhelmingly opposed a 20-year, fixed rate contract between `Aina Koa Pono and Hawai`i Electric Light Co. Most speakers focused on the proposed hike in electric bills that would support a refinery near Wood Valley Road to produce diesel that would be trucked to Kona to a power plant. Most Ka`u residents testified on land use, lifestyle and the emerging small business economy.

Guy Enriques

      The only Ka`u resident who supported the AKP proposal was Guy Enriques, of Punalu`u, a former County Council member, volleyball coach and founder of community group `O Ka`u Kakou. OKK is an organization with which `Aina Koa Pono representatives have met to explain its plan to hand out $250,000 per year in a community benefits package after their refinery is up and running. Enriques said he was speaking “on behalf of `Aina Koa Pono” and that he recently visited their experimental microwave depolymerization unit in North Carolina. AKP plans to bring such a unit to a site along Wood Valley Road. He said it looked like the Micro Dee unit would work. He said he sees the proposed electric bill increase in the `Aina Koa Pono contract as “an investment in the future” since fossil fuel prices are predicted to continue to rise.
      Enriques said this morning that he has wanted to visit a working microwave unit prior to AKP bringing one to the Big Island. During an `Aina Koa Pono meeting in Pahala last year, he volunteered to visit any place where a microwave depolymerization unit is in operation. Other community members also asked where such an operation could be visited anywhere in the world. `Aina Koa Pono recently contacted Enriques and sponsored his trip to North Carolina, he said. According to Enriques, the Micro Dee unit was not in full production, and feedstock, including garbage, was being made into pellets through a separate microwave process. Pellets were going into the Micro Dee, and diesel was dripping out the end, he said.

James Cuddihy

      John Cross is a land manager for Olson Trust, owner of 8,000 acres between Wood Valley and Na`alehu which AKP says it has leased for 35 years for its refinery, for cutting trees and brush, and for growing biofuel crops. He testified that he does not want to see electric bills go up. However, he pointed to test crops for biofuel feedstock on plots along Wood Valley Road. He talked about his experience growing sugar cane and said he hopes the plan will work to reduce Hawai`i’s dependency on fossil fuel.
      James Cuddihy, Jr., a former mill superintendent who left the state when the Ka`u sugar company shut down in 1996, has been working for more than a year with AKP to gain community support. His wife Geri has been meeting privately with small groups of Pahala residents. They both testified in favor of AKP last night, with James Cuddihy describing the old sugar town as degraded and in need of the kind of economic development that AKP promises.

Bobby Gomes 

      In support of AKP stimulating new business in Pahala, Geri Cuddihy testified to the lack of a restaurant. (A California man bought the former Tex Drive-In. The restaurant went bankrupt and is now being considered for a Long’s drugstore). Sobbing and testifying to the jobs AKP promises, she brought up suicides in the community, listing them one-by-one, down to the details of a self-inflicted shooting and a hanging, inferring that such tragedies have something to do with the sugar company going out of business 16 years ago.

      Retired police officer Bobby Gomes objected. He said, “I can cry, too,” and that the people of Ka`u are doing fine and are happy. He and others testifiers pointed to the emergence of small businesses to replace the plantation, including the dozens of Ka`u Coffee growers who are winning international awards and ranchers producing meat for the local market. Testifiers described Ka`u residents as independent, strong and different than other communities around Hawai`i with their hunting, fishing, ranching and farming.

Ron Self

      Many talked about the question of whether to use good farmlands in Ka`u for biofuel crops or for food production. However, Steve Shropshire, a land developer and farmer north of Hilo, noted an abundance of unused farmland around the island.

      Regarding the proposed electric bill hikes, Wood Valley attorney and farmer Ron Self said, “What is really important is that they are trying to finance (the refinery and biofuel farm) on the backs of the ratepayers.” State Sen. Lorraine Inouye also opposed the AKP proposal based on proposed electric rate hikes, as did geothermal proponent and farmer Richard Ha, Shipman Industrial park president Bill Walters, and attorney and geothermal proponent Mililani Trask and others. “HELCO has come to expect that, whenever they ask for an increase, they’re going to get it automatically rubber-stamped,” Trask said.

Sen. Lorraine Inouye

      “Moani Keala Akaka said, “Look at the highway robbery HELCO and others have been getting away with.”

      Several testifiers noted that the hearing was not being held in Ka`u, making it difficult for residents of the area to give their opinions. 

      See more in tomorrow’s Ka`u News Briefs. Another public meeting takes place tonight at 6 p.m. at Kealakehe High School Cafeteria in Kona.

     The deadline to submit public testimony to the PUC is Nov. 30. Letters can be emailed to hawaii.puc@hawaii.gov. or mailed to 465 South King Street, #103, Honolulu, HI  96813.

      The public can also post comment with Civil Beat at
http://hawaii.land.blogs.civilbeat.com/post/34576996708/public-gets-chance-to-weigh-in-on-aina-koa-pono-this.

MAYOR BILLY KENOI opposed the `Aina Koa Pono biofuel project for Ka`u yesterday, saying, “Ultimately, there is no benefit to the people of the Island of Hawai`i.” His comments came from an interview with West Hawai`i Today reporter Erin Miller. Kenoi told her: “This looks like one of those deals, after 10, 20 years, we ask how did we let that happen?” Kenoi talked about the county’s concern with the proposed hike in electric bills and the impact on residents who could face not only higher bills at home and work but higher county water bills connected to the cost of using electricity to run pumps and other water department facilities. Residents could also end up with higher property taxes to pay for higher electric bills for other county operations. The mayor said earlier that the electric bill for the county was going from $30 million to $40 million a year.
       Kenoi told West Hawai`i Today that the fixed price of the biodiesel that HELCO would purchase from `Aina Koa Pono could be $200 a barrel, twice the going rate. The exact amount, however, is unknown, as neither `Aina Koa Pono nor HELCO are willing to release the price to the public. The mayor told the reporter that the reasoning for the fixed cost is based on projections that oil costs will skyrocket. “But on an island that now has, according to HELCO’s own figures, 49 percent of its energy coming from renewable sources anyway, Kenoi said the county can no longer afford to pursue energy technologies that don’t drop electricity rates,” reports West Hawai`i Today.

Richard Lim

      “Clearly, we’re not against new technology, against innovation. With this proposal, there’s very little in it to encourage the County of Hawai`i, the residents to support it,” the mayor told West Hawai`i Today.
      According to the story, “Kenoi also questioned using Ka`u as a test site for microwave catalytic depolymerization technology, which `Aina Koa Pono proposes using, noting the technology has never been used in production-scale operations. Other concerns include displacing cattle operations from about 10,000 acres in Ka`u to grow the biomass crop to be turned into biodiesel and that `Aina Koa Pono has not yet specified which crop it will use for the project,” the story says.
      The story also points out the `Aina Koa Pono connection with Richard Lim, the director of the state Department of Business and Economic Development, which is also a participant in the case before the PUC. Lim is a co-founder of Sennet Capital with `Aina Koa Pono chair Kenton Eldridge. Sennet lists `Aina Koa Pono as one of its Transactions, and Lim is listed on the Sennet website as an advisor. See more at www.westhawaiitoday.com.

`AINA KOA PONO IS CIRCULATING RESULTS OF A SURVEY of 303 Hawai`i Island residents. The survey was conducted by SMS Research and Marketing, of Honolulu. AKP lists SMS as one of its partners on its website, ainakoapono.com.

      SMS Research found that only 10 percent of those interviewed knew about the `Aina Koa Pono project when asked on an unaided basis. After a description of the project was provided, 56 percent stated they were in favor of the project as compared to 11 percent opposed. Another 33 percent said they did not know enough about the project.
      “Hawai`i Island residents were surveyed because we wanted to get a sense of the level of acceptance and support for the Ka`u project,” said AKP partner Chris Eldridge. “What we learned was that while there’s support, we need to do more education and outreach.”
      Surveyors say areas of support for `Aina Koa Pono’ project include safety, keeping money in the state, additional jobs, revitalization of Hawai`i’s agricultural industry and reduction of electric bills.
      Concerns listed by the surveyors include the perception that `Aina Koa Pono will be run by outsiders, may have some impact on traffic, biofuel will cost more to produce than imported oil, and the plant will be too expensive to build.

Chris Eldridge

      Eldridge responded that “`Aina Koa Pono is locally owned, and the $450 million project is privately funded. Eight to 12 trucks a week will deliver biofuel to Keahole. The project poses no financial risk to ratepayers, who pay nothing until the biofuel is produced and accepted by HELCO.”

ESTABLISHMENT OF A SENIOR CENTER in Ocean View will be considered by the Windward Planning Commission at its meeting on Friday, Nov. 9. The application calls for the center to also be used as a community center and an emergency shelter with a capacity of 100 people. The two-acre parcel of land, situated within the State Land Use Agricultural District on Lotus Blossom Lane mauka of Ace Hardware, would also have a certified kitchen. Peter Sur, of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald, reports that the county Planning Department is giving the project a positive recommendation. See more at hawaiitribune-herald.com.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS NOW OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUNEWSPAPER.